Fans were waiting over five hours before they finally got to see the main event of Purecombat's Fearless card on Saturday at Tulare's Ag Center. Fans started to enter the center at 6 p.m., but fights did not start until 8 p.m. (they were scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.), and the main event featuring Visalia's Doug Marshall and Costa Mesa's Keith Berry did not start until after 11 p.m., and all total only eight of the 10 scheduled fights actually happened. The two co-main event fights ended up being cancelled on Saturday.
The wait was well worth it as Marshall and Berry put on a show. For 4 minutes, 41 seconds of the round, the two went at it toe-to-toe. Berry came out smoking as he connected with some jabs, and then pinned Marshall against the cage and then hit him with a flurry of punches.
For the first part of the round he was able to dominate. The turning point of the fight happened when Berry had a Kimura locked deep against Marshall. But the former WEC champion powered his way out of the move, and continued to pound away against Berry. It looked as if Berry would survive the round, but while on top Marshall continued with a devestativing punch that basically knocked Berry out, a couple of more punches ended the fight.
Berry was taken out of the ring on a stretcher. Marshall is now 11-3, while Berry is 6-5.

155-POUND TOURNAMENT

In the continuion of Purecombat's quest to crown its first 155-pound champion the finals will feature two Bakersfield fighters. Doug Hunt and Josh McCartney advanced with wins, while McCartney won in dominating fashion Hunt's victory left a lot to be desired.

Hunt (7-4) used takedowns and then just layed on top of Visalia's Darren Crisp (7-5) for all three rounds. He tried no offensive moves, while on top of Crisp, and the majority of the punches he did throw were easily deflected.
All three judges scored the fight 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 for Hunt (FUNews.net scored it 29-28 for Crisp). In the first round Hunt took Crisp down, but while on his back Crisp was the aggressor trying to get arm bars and chokes, all the while Hunt did nothing. The second round was a little slower pace with Hunt laying on top of Crisp and neither fighther did much. In the third Crisp landed several big blows with his hands and legs. But in the end Bakersfield fans left happy as two of their favorite MMA sons will fight for the championship.

McCartney (3-1) defeated Visaia's Mark De La Cruz (2-2) as the referee stopped the fight at 1:17 of the second round. McCartney hit De La Cruz and that sent him to the mat, then several uncontested shots to the head and the referee stepped in to the stop the fight. Earleir in the round De La Cruz looked as if he injured his hand after a punch. In the first round McCartney used a lot of counterpunching and was able to take De La Cruz to the ground.

In other fights:

John Reedy (9-3) vs. Rodney Rhoden (5-6): After being dominated for over 2 and half rounds Reedy pulled out the win with a rear-naked choke in 1:51 of the third round. Rhoden punished Reedy in the second round, and Reedy seemed to be saved by the bell after Rhoden landed two massive punches while Reedy layed against the the chain linked fence. Rhoden continued the punishment in the third, but then flinched after Reedy threw a punch and he turned his back to him allowing Reedy to jump on his back and eventually work the rear naked choke.

Angela Samaro (2-1) d. Leann Jenkins (0-2): Using a very impressive standup game, Samaro was relentless with her punching as she knocked out Jenkins in 1:54 of the first round. Samaro used a big left to knock Jenkins to her back, and then she pounced on her and connected with a couple of big shots before the referee stopped the fight.

Drew Bittner (2-0) D. Carlos Costa (0-1): It this one-sided affair it was Hollisters's Bittner that go a unanimious decision. He won on all three scorecards 30-27 (FUNews.net also scored it 30-27). All three rounds looked alike as Bittner would take Costa down, and punch him in the face until the round ended.

Josh Herrick (4-1) d. Joe Morales (5-1): Visalia's Herrick defeated Exeter's Morales by technical submission in 26 seconds when Morales tapped out. Morales, an outstanding, high school wrestler in Exeter got the initial takedown but while on his back Herrick was able to choke Morales out. And it seemed as if he was out cold for a couple of seconds before coming to.

Faustino Caballero III (1-0) d. Travis Hughes (0-1): Both first time fighters came out of the blocks throwing haymakers at each other and have a great and wild first round, even tough the pace slowed in the next two it was an exciting fight. In the end it was Caballero winning 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 (FUNews.net scored it 29-28). Caballero took Hughes down at will, and was able to ground and pound, while Hughes was better from far away.